Skull X-ray cost in Waterloo, IA — inpatient
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for skull X-ray, fewer than 4 views as an inpatient: from $123.34 to $559.65, with a median of $160.68. The lowest listed price is at Allen Hospital — $37.34 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $204.60 at 76 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 70250, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Jun 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Hospital lowest Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 HC SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS | $123.34 | $154.17 | $99.75 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital Grundy Center, IA · (319) 824-5421 HC SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS | $127.20 | $159.00 | $103.00–$159.00 | 20% | Jun 29, 2026 source file |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center Sumner, IA · (563) 578-3275 HC SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS | $194.16 | $242.70 | $182.00–$242.00 | 20% | Jun 18, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Xr Skull < 4 Views | $559.65 | $861.00 | $98.49–$861.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $123.34, median $160.68, highest $559.65 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $194.16 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 4 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A skull X-ray takes up to three pictures of the bones of the head. It is used less often than before, because a head CT (70450) shows the brain and skull better after an injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.